Steam has finally rolled out native support for Apple Silicon, ending years of reliance on Rosetta 2 translation. The updated version is currently available through the Steam Beta channel, offering better performance and smoother operation for Mac users on M1, M2, and M3 chips.
Previously, Steam functioned using Rosetta 2, Apple’s compatibility layer for Intel-based apps. This workaround introduced lag, higher resource usage, and sluggish navigation, especially in Steam’s Chromium-based interface. With the new beta, the app becomes a Universal binary, fully optimized for Apple’s ARM architecture.
Under the hood, Valve has shifted the Chromium Embedded Framework to run natively on Apple Silicon. This change removes a major performance bottleneck, resulting in faster launch times, more fluid scrolling, and snappier access to Store and Community tabs.
How to Try It Now
You can opt into the beta and test the native version today. Open the Steam app on your Mac, go to Steam > Settings > Interface, then select Steam Beta Update from the Beta Participation dropdown. Restart the app to trigger the update, which weighs in at about 230MB. Once installed, confirm the native version in Activity Monitor, where Steam should appear as “Kind: Apple.”
Timing Matters
Apple confirmed this week that Rosetta 2 is on its way out. Future versions of macOS will phase out full support, putting Intel-only apps at risk unless developers update them.
In an official statement, Apple said,
“Rosetta was designed to make the transition to Apple Silicon easier, and we plan to make it available for the next two major macOS releases – through macOS 27 – as a general-purpose tool for Intel apps to help developers complete the migration of their apps.”
This move by Valve ensures Steam remains functional and competitive on Apple platforms moving forward. The native version not only improves the current user experience but also futureproofs the platform as Apple phases out Intel support.